Censorship is important to our society in order to protect the young and vulnerable. Censorship can cover many different topics and situations that people are involved in. Some situations can be uncomfortable to many people and make them feel out of place like the use of explicit language. Whether on television or at work this can make people feel uncomfortable. Violence on television, movies or even on the local news is why censorship is necessary. Not everyone needs or wants to see violence or foul language throughout their day.
We need to make sure the public’s privacy and security are rotected from individuals and groups that are out to cause harm. Censorship in the United States is important. It helps to prevent excessive violence on television, movies and video games that can potentially pollute the minds of individuals and young children. Having too much violence on television shows can pollute the minds of young children at an early age. Young children are followers not leaders. It’s up to adults to show them right from wrong. Censorship plays a key role in our everyday lives and the development of our children and vulnerable individuals.
For example, retrospective studies have shown that ost adults can remember an incident from their childhood in which they were intensely frightened by a television (TV) program or movie and that these fears often haunted them for years. (K. Harrison, J. Cantor, Tales from the screen: enduring fright reactions to scary media (1999). These studies which focus on people’s self-reported exposure and perception to television violence and their perceived behavior can develop aggressive behaviors and attitudes attributed violence on television.
Maintaining censorship on television may also help prevent our children from having to deal with some of the issue that esearches found in their test subjects in the future. Censorship can be the key to the link of violence on television shows that may not be censored now. Offensive language can also offend many groups, religious sectors and people when used in an open aired manner. The use of explicit vulgar language and displaying sexual content in advertising can easily offend many people. Proper use of censorship in a public setting can help screen and monitor issues before they become offensive.
Censorship allows for this type of filter for people that may not want to be exposed. The Federal Communications Commission FCC) states that it’s a violation of federal law to air obscene programming at any time. It’s is also a violation of federal law to broadcast indecent or profane programming during certain hours. (https://www. fcc. gov) This helps prevent vulgar material that can be accessed with ease, even by young children. This exposure is dangerous for kids because it desensitizes them and makes them curious about things that they should not even know about.
It can also deeply confuse and psychologically damage the mind of a young child. Censorship also controls the media from creating untrue slander, prejudice and racism that ay cause more problems in our world that will not easily be controlled. Censorship does not take the language, violence or sexual content out of our society, but what it does is try and hide it so it’s not easily accessible to the people who don’t want it. Censorship protects the privacy and security of people. It helps strengthen national security and lessens the threat of identity theft.
We have moved swiftly into the digital age where technology can monitor and document every move we make online. Your digital footprint is captured whether its social media, performing a google search or paying for merchandise online with your credit card. As a society we’ve turned away from being a cash business and into an electronic society. The world economy, along with globalization, has got a new dimension, “e” is eProcurement, ePayments, eGovernment, etc. The distribution systems and online sales are all elements that have become “e” as we no longer conceive our modern society without them.
The explosive development of the software and hardware technology made it possible fortoday’s technology and services to be used in all the areas of activity: education, research, economics, health, trade, tourism, business, defense, etc. There have been developed applications for the financial ransactions online, online commerce, multimedia, online, e- Learning, online magazines, electronic libraries, information search services on the network. (Chiru, Claudiu 2014) As a society we need to embrace this change and understand that paper world and have moved on to digital one.
Once we are able to realize this, censorship will be able to be applied and used for the safety, privacy and security of our we are no lor country. Many people will claim that Censorship crosses the line and goes against our first amendment of free speech. Censorship does not take away ones first amendment right of free speech. What it does is control the material so that it’s viewed in an appropriate manor by those who wish to view it at the appropriate time. This makes it possible to be able to censor sensitive information that can easily be accessed by children and young adults that may not be able to censor themselves.
That is why the television industry created and designed the TV ratings system. This system allows us to monitor and control the content that we feel is appropriate for who’s watching. The concerns and thoughts that censorship weakens the first amendment and takes away a person’s right of free speech is a atter of opinion. There is no direct proof or connection that censorship works against the first amendment. Censorship will always be a debatable topic now and into the future because there will always be two side to this coin. Censorship will be a debatable topic now and in the future.
Although freedom of speech does allow for use of offensive words and phrases in political messages and advertisement of products and services with restrictions. It also does not include the right to incite actions that would cause harm to others or make or and distribute obscene material that may also become armful to certain groups. As much as people will claim that censorship is going against free speech, censorship was created to help protect our children and many of our citizens from obscene words or graphic images they may not be able to avoid without it.
Censorship is everywhere in our lives and gives us the power to choose what is appropriate to view or listen too. The creation of the rating systems has also made it easier with our choices such as the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and along with the FCC. We look to these rating systems and trust their atings of what are kids playing and watching are age appropriate.
Although the rating system is comprehensive, some recent studies raise the question of whether parents rely on or ignore the ratings. In a study by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, 78% of parents said they were aware of the rating system, 70% said they check the ESRB rating for age appropriateness when buying computer and video games for their children (Hoerrner, M ). These system do not take away our first amendment of free speech, it only make us stronger as a country that gives us the option and the ability to live free and make your own decisions.
